CLAIMS that Labor MP Craig Thomson misused union funds to pay for prostitutes have been referred to the police by the Health Services Union.

In a key development in the growing scandal, HSU national secretary Kathy Jackson told reporters of the police referral after a meeting of the union national executive in Sydney.

The move ensures the NSW Police will examine allegations that Mr Thomson spent thousands of dollars on prostitutes and for “personal” items during the five years that he was boss of the HSU, from 2002 to 2007.

The Opposition has already written to the NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione, outlining a raft of allegations involving the Labor MP, whose resignation would trigger the likely demise of the Gillard Government.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard shutdown Question Time early after just one question was asked about the Craig Thomson credit card affair.

And the opposition is really ramming home the pain.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott moved to suspend standing orders in a bid to compel Ms Gillard to make an explanation to parliament on the matter.

After the end of debate, Ms Gillard ended question time more than half an hour early and as she left the chamber Opposition MPs called out “you’re joke.”

Earlier today, a majority of MPs voted for the besieged parliamentarian to make a statement to parliament on the fallout from the scandal over his credit card.

But the vote which was won by the Coalition 73-71 was not the absolute majority of 76 needed to require Mr Thomson to appear before parliament on the matter.

The Opposition has upped its campaign against the government, withdrawing pairs which enable government MPs in the House of Representatives to be absent on other business or through illness without losing a voting number.

Australia may be facing an election at the same time as we do, perhaps earlier.

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As much at home writing editorials as being the subject of them, Cam has won awards, including the Canon Media Award for his work on the Len Brown/Bevan Chuang story. And when he’s not creating the news, he tends to be in it, with protagonists using the courts, media and social media to deliver financial as well as death threats.

They say that news is something that someone, somewhere, wants kept quiet. Cam Slater doesn’t do quiet, and as a result he is a polarising, controversial but highly effective journalist that takes no prisoners.